An Important Message from the Superintendent of Schools

The Elwood Union Free School District is extremely saddened to learn of the loss of Christopher Raguso, John Glenn High School graduate from the Class of ’97. Mr. Raguso proudly served in the New York Air National Guard and was also a lieutenant in the Commack and New York City fire departments.

The district extends its deepest condolences to Lt. Raguso’s family and friends. He died a true hero serving our country and we join the entire nation in mourning his passing.

Elwood Alumni Returns from Medical Mission

Recently Joseph Rizzuto, a John Glenn graduate class of 2011, visited
James H. Boyd to present the students with a medical mission he went on
to Nepal. Previously, the student council of Boyd raised funds to assist
him in completing his mission. As a result of their fundraising, Mr.
Rizzuto was able to provide much-needed supplies and health checks to
the community of Gorkha, Nepal. Joseph returned to his past elementary
school to share his experience with the students that helped his mission
become a reality.

The inhabitants of the community of Gorkha were affected harshly by an
earthquake in 2015 and are still trying to rebuild their homes. Mr.
Rizzuto’s presentation was an eye-opening experience for students, and
they were affected by seeing the plights of people living in another
country who don’t have access to the resources that Americans do.

In preparation for the competition, students wrote a 14-page proposal
entitled “How to Deal with the Present Opioid Crisis.” This proposal was
presented by the students, alongside 30 other schools from Nassau and
Suffolk counties, and judged by researchers, doctors, and experts in the
field. This competition was established in 2013 by The Feinstein
Institute for Medical Research and the Center for Workforce Readiness to
encourage Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) career
pathways for Long Island freshman and sophomore students.

Volleying for a Cause

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School students came together to support a
good cause and to take part in some healthy competition during the
school’s annual Volleyball-a-Thon on Mar. 1. This year’s chosen causes
were the Sean Urda Memorial Soccer Scholarship, Save the Kid and St.
Jude Children's Research Hospital.

All 41 participating teams showed up to the competition in the high
school gymnasium with matching team t-shirts, donning creative names
such as “Elected to Serve” and “Set it and Forget it,” as well as a
whole lot of enthusiasm. Collectively, teams raised a total of $3,010
for the selected causes.

Each team competed on one of the four volleyball courts until one group,
the “Birds,” was victorious and crowned the 2018 Volleyball-a-Thon
champs.

Dr. Seuss Day at James H. Boyd

Students at James H. Boyd Intermediate School celebrated Dr. Seuss's
birthday on Mar. 2. Students and teachers read their favorite Dr. Seuss
stories aloud and also carried poems in their pockets. Some students had
written their own poems, while others carried their favorite published
prose. Poems were shared with one another throughout the day.

In addition, a member of the community, Mr. Harold Roizman, donated new
books to be raffled off to help children carry out the joy of reading.
Students enjoyed the day’s celebration of reading and their favorite
stories.

Getting excited about reading at Harley Avenue

Students at Harley Avenue Primary School dressed up as their favorite
book characters on Mar. 2 in honor of National Read Across America Day.
This day of awareness, conceived and put into motion by the National
Education Association, seeks to help get children excited about reading,
and to motivate them to read more.

“I’m a boy scout and I like wild and dangerous things, so I was excited
to dress up as Fly Guy, my favorite book character,” said James, a
second-grader at Harley Avenue.

Students throughout the school dressed up as characters such as the Cat in the Hat, Strega Nona, Mary Poppins, and many more.

World Language Society Members Cook with Compassion

Students in the World Language Society at Elwood-John H. Glenn High
School gave back to the community on Feb. 15, when they coordinated a
meal donation effort. Under the guidance of teachers Nicole Correia and
Nicole Gendjoian, the students took on various responsibilities in
planning, preparing for and executing a successful initiative.

The students cooked baked ziti and assembled vegetable platters for the
Huntington Tri Community and Youth Agency. They also created two meal
baskets for families in need.

Leading up to the event, students were provided with a grocery list and
went shopping on their own. Some of the students had never cooked before
but were eager to learn new skills and follow instructions in order to
help. Five stations were set up for small groups to follow the recipe.

Ms. Correia and Ms. Gendjoian were thrilled to see the students’
enthusiasm and hope to schedule another day of cooking in March.

Local Seniors Treated to Dinner and a Show

Senior members of the Elwood community were treated to a dinner and a
show by the high school community service club and the cast and crew of
the upcoming theatre production on Feb. 28.

Each year, community service club and theatre students collaborate to
reach out to the senior community surrounding Elwood schools.
Invitations were mailed, encouraging community members to come for a
free meal and a private showing of the dress rehearsal of the upcoming
show, The Little Mermaid. Service club members collected food and
prepared a dinner, along with coffee and dessert, to serve to the
attendees. Principal Burzynski, Superintendent Dr. Bossert, and Board of
Education Vice President James Tomeo were in attendance as well,
mingling with the members of the community.

“It’s important for our students to reach out to older members of the
community,” said community service club advisor Maryann Cabrera. “It
helps them become good citizens, and teaches them to represent their
generation well.”

The students served the attendees with smiles, and escorted them to the
auditorium to watch the performance of The Little Mermaid after dinner
was over.

“It’s so special to be able to contribute positively to the community,”
said Ashley, a sophomore at John H. Glenn, “and by helping the
community, you also kind of help yourself by becoming more aware of the
situations of others.”

Competitive Greatness at its Best

The district is proud to announce that John H. Glenn High School has two students from
the same graduating class headed to two of the finest military
academies in the Nation. Nathaniel Larkins will be attending the United
States Military Academy at West Point and Patrick Giambruno will be
attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. We are so proud
of these two amazing young men! Go army, go navy!

Students Virtually Visited by Author on World Read Aloud Day

James H. Boyd celebrated World Read Aloud Day on Feb. 1. Each year
people around the globe participate in World Read Aloud Day and share
stories to advocate for literacy as a human right.

This year at Boyd, teachers read aloud to their students throughout the
day, including books “Love” by Matt de la Pena and “7 Ate 9” by Tara
Lazar. Mrs. Bove and Mrs. Held’s third-grade class had the opportunity
to Skype with author Tara Lazar during the day as well. After she read
her book “7 Ate 9” to the class, students asked her questions about the
book, about being an author and more.

Turning Concern into Action

EMS student Nicholas Mourelatos was recognized for an exceptional act of kindness by the Board of Education on Feb. 15.

During the month of December, Nicholas took it upon himself to start a
fundraiser for a fellow student who was absent from school due to a
serious medical condition. Nicholas knew she must be struggling being
out of school for so long, away from her friends and teachers, and
wanted to let her know she was not forgotten by her classmates. He
expressed his concern to middle school principal Dr. Christina Sapienza,
and she encouraged him to follow through with his idea.

After the course of a week, Nicholas and his peers raised enough funds
to buy her a present for the holiday season. Nicholas made sure to
personally deliver the gift himself.

Dr. Sapienza addressed the board to recognize Nicholas for his act of kindness and compassion.

“Nicholas, we’re so proud of you for turning your heartfelt concerns
into action,” said Dr. Sapienza, “and you’ve acted as a true friend and
role model for your peers.”

Mock Trial Members Mentored by Alumni

On Feb. 7, the high school mock trial team ranked first among 27
competing Suffolk County schools in the county’s first mock trial
competition of 2018 ­– a first ever in John Glenn history!

Before the start of the season, two alumni mock trial members visited
the team, and volunteered their time to help students prepare for
upcoming trial cases. Jordan Bryan, a freshman at Cornell University,
and Casey Oualaalou, a freshman at Loyola University, spent many hours
helping the young, inexperienced team research and prepare.

Advisor Megan Gieser believes the extra help from the alumni students,
along with the work ethic of the current team members, paid off.

“It really meant a lot to the current students to be mentored by
experienced mock trial members,” said Ms. Gieser, “and the team members
continue to impress me with their hard work and dedication—learning from
their mistakes, and improving with every trial they complete.”

100th Day Celebration

Harley Avenue Elementary School celebrated the 100th day of school on
Feb. 12. Students were encouraged to dress up like they were 100 years
old, and many came to school dressed in character with props as well.
Throughout the day, 100-centered lessons were taught—counting up to 100
with different coins, discussing something they’d like to have 100 of
and why, and more.

A Culture of Inclusivity

Along with over 2,000 schools across the country, Elwood Middle School
students celebrated No One Eats Alone Day on Feb. 9. During lunch
periods throughout the day, members of the National Junior Honor Society
and the Knights of Good brought awareness to social isolation.

“Let’s create a culture of belonging for everyone,” student volunteers
read aloud to their peers, “to not be the cool kids, but to be the kids
who include everyone…let’s be different Elwood, and end social isolation
now!”
Students encouraged their peers to take part in the day by making sure
no one was sitting alone, or by sitting with someone they’ve never sat
with before. There were activities available for students to connect
with new friends, including board games, a raffle, and opportunities to
affirm others that they’re not alone.

“This day is so important because no school is without isolated kids,”
said Dahlia, a sixth grader at EMS. “And just because you don’t see it
doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

This day was created by Beyond Differences—a non-profit organization
founded by the parents of Lili Smith, who was born with a cranial facial
syndrome and was socially isolated during her middle school years.
Their mission is to bring awareness to the harshness of social
isolation, and are determined to teach students to be inclusive.

Senior Commits to Fairfield University

A special ceremony was held for Elwood John-H. Glenn senior Stephanie
Tsangaris on Feb. 7. In front of family, coaches, and Elwood
administration, Stephanie signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) for
Fairfield University, where she will be attending and playing soccer in
the fall. Stephanie has scored the leading number of points for the Lady
Knights for the past four years, is a three-time All- State athlete,
and was selected for the 2017 News 12 All-Long Island Girls Soccer Team.

“Your commitment to excellence in this sport will undoubtedly continue
to separate you from the pack as you take the next step in your career
as a student-athlete,” said Director of Athletics and Physical Education
David Shanahan.

Brookhaven Lab National Science Bowl

Four science-research students from Elwood-John Glenn High School
participated in the Regional Competition of the National Science Bowl at
Brookhaven Labs on Jan. 27. Students Jacob Goldstein, Nicole
Hugelmeyer, Katherine Browne and Samantha Katz performed extremely well
during the whole competition. Topics covered were biology, chemistry,
energy, astronomy, earth science and math. Each student was competitive
in each round, and scored extremely high. Even though the team did not
advance to the Nationals, they did an outstanding job.

Student-Athlete Reaches 1,000-Point Milestone

Alyssa Adomaites, a junior on the Elwood-John H. Glenn girls basketball
team, reached the 1000-point milestone on February 1, 2018. Alyssa
reached this goal during a victorious game against Miller place, where
final the score was 66-49.

In addition to scoring 26 points, she accomplished five assists, four
steals and five rebounds throughout the game. Since the start of her
high school basketball career in 7th grade, Alyssa has contributed
greatly to John Glenn’s success in winning two league championships, and
two county finals.

“Alyssa’s played an integral role on our team as point guard,” said
Coach Sean McGinty. “She’s an exemplary model of a student-athlete, and
one of the most outstanding players on Long Island.”

Elwood Middle School Hosts VEX Robotics Competition

Elwood Middle School hosted its fourth consecutive, and largest, VEX IQ
Robotics Competition on Jan. 27. This competition, which is presented by
the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, welcomed 40
participating teams from 14 different schools and organizations from all
across the island.

In this competition, teams of students use robots that they’ve designed
and built to compete with other teams in an engineering challenge.
Tournaments are held throughout the year at regional, state, and
national levels—and ultimately culminate at the VEX Robotics World
Championship.

Each year, the VEX IQ challenge changes. This year’s challenge required
students to design robots that are able to pick up, move, sort and stack
rings on poles of different heights. Students were required to put the
STEM concepts they’ve learned to the test as they sharpened their skills
in teamwork, leadership, communications, and more.

“The competition encompasses many twenty-first century skills that our
students will need in the future,” said Director of Math, Science and
Technology Eileen Kelly-Gorman.

In addition, students participated in teamwork activities that selected
tasks at random, competed in individual skills challenges, and more.
Teams also were judged based on their designs, STEM research projects
presented in front of judges, and overall excellence. Teams that win at
one of the qualifying competitions qualify for the state finals in
Rockville Centre. The winners of this competition will qualify for VEX
Worlds in Kentucky.

Students Selected for LISFA

Congratulations to the following students who were selected for the
prestigious Long Island String Festival Association Festivals: Jenna
Ban, Mina Ban, Blake Goehring, Joanna Kim, Aaram Lee, Rithika Narayan,
Angelina Song, and Maya Tallo. The Intermediate Festival Concert, which
included students grades fifth to eighth, took place on January 27 and
28. The Secondary Festival, which included high school musicians, took
place January 14. All participating students preformed tremendously and
made the district proud!

Musical Accolades Recognized at Board of Education Meeting

During the first Board of Education meeting of the new year, two high school students were recognized for excelling in music.

Elizabeth Choi, a junior at Elwood-John H. Glenn High School and a
dedicated violinist, was recognized for being selected for the All-State
Symphony Orchestra. Elizabeth is the concert master of the John Glenn
Orchestra and Chamber Strings, attends Manhattan School of Music’s
pre-college program, and is an active member of her school community.

“Elizabeth is a fine representative of the Elwood Union Free School
District and an impressive student who serves as a role model for all of
our students,” said high school Principal Carisa Burzynski.

John Glenn senior Alexandra Vallejos was recognized for being selected
for the National Association for Music Education All-National Choir.
Alexandra was selected for this honor based on her previous
participation in last school year’s All-State Women’s choir, and her
outstanding audition for the program. Alexandra is a section leader in
the school’s concert choir, the president of the Tri-M music society,
and has been a participant in the NYSSMA solo festival, using her voice
and the piano, all of her years at Elwood-John H. Glenn High School.

“We are extremely proud of all Alexandra has achieved, and will continue to achieve,” said Principal Burzynski.

Elwood-John H. Glenn Coach Named Coach of the Year

Congratulations to Elwood-John H. Glenn boys soccer coach Lou Hanner for
recently being awarded the Section/Region 1 Coach of the Year award by
The National Federation of High Schools! Mr. Hanner is one of eleven
coaches throughout New York State that received sectional awards for the
2016-2017 school year. Coaches nominated and awarded this honor have
outstanding coaching records, display dedication to their sport and
their community, and have been serving as a coach for the district for
many years.

“We are extremely proud of Lou for all his hard work and dedication to our students,” said Athletic Director David Shanahan.

Elwood-John H. Glenn High School Nominated for National Blue Ribbon Schools Award

The district is pleased to announce that Elwood-John H. Glenn High
School has been nominated to join the community of National Blue Ribbon
Schools. The high school, selected by the New York State Department of
Education as an Exemplary High Performing School, is currently one of 19
finalists in New York State.

“Every staff and faculty member has, in some way, contributed to this
prestigious nomination,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kenneth
Bossert, “and it would be an incredible source pride for the district to
achieve such a distinction.”

The district will continue in the application process for the 2018
National Blue Ribbon award, and the recipients will be announced in
September 2018.

Moving Full STEAM Ahead

It was an evening of exploration and investigation as students in grades
K-8 attended the annual STEAM Night, held at Elwood Middle School on
Jan. 18. This year’s theme, Around the World and Through Time,
encouraged participants to use their science, technology, engineering,
art and mathematics skills to engage in activities that tied in with
international culture and diversity.

STEAM is an instructional approach that employs science, technology,
engineering, art and mathematics to guide students in dialogue,
critical-thinking, problem solving, collaboration and inquiry.

Technology Instructional Specialist Krista Albrecht explained that the
goal of the evening was to expose students to various types of science
and technology activities, while emphasizing the importance of being
kind to the Earth through recycling. “We also wanted to host activities
with origins that expand the globe, emphasizing diversity and culture,”
Albrecht said.

Teacher Pam Fine, who collaborated with Albrecht and Director of Math,
Science and Technology Eileen Kelly-Gorman in hosting the program, noted
that high school student council helpers volunteered their time to run
games in the game room section that connected to their own cultures.
Students received a passport to write down facts about each of the
countries’ games played. Other activities included African basket
weaving, the crafting of instruments, various architectural activities,
the study of well water and more.

“STEAM night was a great success, thanks to our teachers and high school
students who volunteered their time to run sessions, the community
organizations who helped sponsor the event, and the families who
participated,” Kelly-Gorman said. “We love to see parents and students
learning together and trying new things.”